August 05, 2025
Dennis Lee/Imagn Images
Across two minor-league rehab appearances, Joe Ross threw two scoreless innings and notched four strikeouts.
The Phillies reinstated right-handed reliever Joe Ross (back spasms) off the 15-day injured list ahead of Tuesday night's game against the Baltimore Orioles, the team announced. Fellow right-hander Seth Johnson was optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding move.
Ross, 32, has struggled since joining the Phillies on a one-year, $4 million contract. He had a stellar run in the second half of last season when the Milwaukee Brewers converted him from starting to relieving, but that success has not translated in 2025, as he has posted a 5.28 ERA across 31 appearances.
When Ross signed with the Phillies, the idea seemed to be for him to serve as a valuable swingman, but he has largely just been a mop-up reliever, and that is where things figure to stay with Jhoan Duran and -- in the coming days or weeks -- David Robertson and José Alvarado joining the bullpen.
Ross went on the injured list on July 22. According to Phillies manager Rob Thomson that night, Ross had stepped into a hole on the mound and "jarred" his back as a result. Going on the injured list was a precaution, Thomson said. After Ross threw a scoreless inning in Triple-A Lehigh Valley for the second outing in a row to complete his rehab assignment, Thomson said the veteran felt "very good" and would likely be reinstated on Tuesday, the first day he could be activated.
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